Expandable finger ring having apertured shank



Feb. 19, 1963 R. N. GIBEAULT 3,077,750

EXPANDABLE FINGER RING HAVING APERTURED SHANK Filed Jan. 25, 1961 [HUGH 101'? Robert M Gibeault By his A ttorneg Mia. z

3,077,750 EXPANDABLE FHNGER RHNG HAVING APERTURED SHANK Robert N. Giheault, 4t) Hunting St., North Attleboro, Mass. Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,326 6 Claims. (61. 63-155) This invention relates to jewelry and more particularly to expandable finger rings. The desirability of a ring which may be readily expandable in size has numerous benefits not only to the manufacturing jeweler and retailer but to the wearer as well. From the standpoint of the manufacturer and retailer, if a style of ring can be made in a limited number of basic sizes, such as large, medium and small covering the entire size range, their inventories can be maintained at much lower levels than at present where they are required to stock rings in a complete line of full and half sizes. With three basic sizes a ring can be expanded to the desired size as demand requires. A third distinct advantage of a readily expandable ring enures to the benefit of the wearer, particularly if he is a child. Frequently, a ring is given to a child which very soon becomes too small and the ring is either discarded or it has to be enlarged, requiring the shank a to be cut anda piece of metal inserted. Often this must be repeated a second and third time. This process is one which generally requires the ring to be returned to the manufacturer or repair shop as it is generally not done in retail jewelry stores.

Expandable rings are not new. They have been made for many years and generally comprise a shank portion having a gap or made of two disassociated members which lie side by side underneath the finger opposite to the top of the ring. These members, which are not secured to one another are pulled or pushed to fit the finger. For the most part these rings are extremely cheap costume pieces and have'frequently been found as give away prizes with the purchase of some advertised merchandise. A distinct disadvantage of this type ring is that it pinches the finger.

Rings which have complete finger encircling shanks are expanded by stretching the shank but this process is limited in extent to about one half a ring size. Another method is to cut the shank and insert a filler piece. Both methods tend to distort engraving in the ring.

It is an object of this invention to produce an expanda ble finger ring which has a complete finger encircling shank.

' Another object of this invention is to produce an expandable finger ring which lends itself readily to manufacturein not only the form of costume jewelry but is suitable for more expensive lines.

Still another object ofthis invention is to provide a finger ring having a complete finger encircling shank which may be expanded without the insertion of a filler piece.

In accordance with these objects and as a feature of this invention, there is provided an expandable finger ring having a complete, continuous, uninterrupted finger encircling shank which includes as an integral part of the shank at least one completely closed loop of initial predetermined size. In a preferred form of the invention two closed loops are formed integral with the remaining portion of the shank and the loops are similarly secured one to another in the area where normally a setting is located. The loops are made to be yieldable to expansion forces which are applied to the shank whereupon the loops elongate and thereby increase the over-all diameter of the shank. The loops are visible and they themselves form a part of the design of the ring. In expansion the loops attain a slightly different appearance which results 7 3,677,750 Patented Feb. 19, 1963 in the finger ring having an ever changing appearance, particularly if it is worn by a child. The ring lends itself readily to expansion by the simple process of forcing it on a tapered mandrel which obviates the necessity of cutting the ring to insert a filler piece each time the ring is made larger.

These and other features of the invention including vari ous novel details of construction and combinations of parts will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular ring embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in varied and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of an expandable ring embodying the invention;

I FIG. 2 is a view similar to FlG. 1 showing another form of ring embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a ring which has been expanded;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tapered forming mandrel and rings placed thereon being expanded; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of still another ring embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a plurality of expandable finger rings are shown having completely closed finger encircling shanks with no broken away or interrupted portions and with no conventional double, unattached parallel bands, such as in ordinary expandable rings. The shank of each ring includes a main portion 2 of conventional construction. This portion of the shank may. have any desired cross section and may be formed plain or with decoration. Integral with the main portion 2 is an expandable portion of the shank comprising at least one loop 4 closed upon itself and preferably a pair of loops 4 each closed upon itself which in FIG. 2 are shown to be a pair of hearts joined to each other by a bridge 6 so that their exterior angles 8 point away from each other and blend into the main portion 2 of the shank. A setting 10 is secured to the bridge 6 at the junction of the loops 4. The setting is shown mounting a round stone, in this instance a pearl 12. The setting may be replaced by any other ornament such as a medallion, button or other decorative device without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. It is obvious that the setting may likewise be eliminated. The closed loops 4 may be formed integral with the main shank portion 2 by stamping or casting the ring in one piece. Subsequently, the loops would be joined by the bridge 6. If desired, the ring may be made as individual pieces with the loops 4 separate from the shank portion 2 and subsequently soldered together.

The loops are made yieldable to expansion forces applied to the shank to permit the ring to be expanded to a larger over-all diameter without the shank having to be cut and a piece added. A ring is often sized by forcing it upwardly on a tapered mandrel. However, in an ordinary ring this permits only a small size increase to take place because all of the expansion must necessarily result from the metal itself stretching. This would distort any engraving within the shank. However, by the use of the loops 4 which are closed upon themselves as integral portions of the complete ring shank little, if any, internal stretching of the shank portion 2 takes place but rather the loops bend resulting in an increased diameter.

To enlarge the over-all diameter of the ring it is placed on a tapered mandrel 14 and forced toward the larger end. This applies tension to the entire shank internally, normal to its perimeter. The sides of the loops obviously are longer than the portion of the shank circumference the loops comprise. Under a tension less than that required to stretch the shank portion 2 the metal of the loops is designed to bend so that the sides of the loops bend toward each other whereby the loops elongate and lengthen toward the shank portion 2. FIG. 4 shows a ring, with the setting 10 eliminated for clarity, having loops 4' which formerly were the loops 4 of FIG. 2. It will be noted that the loops have become narrower and longer. Ultimately, if it is desired to enlarge the ring substantially, the loops will attain an appearance similar .to 4".

While the bridge 6 is shown to be small in relation to the loops, not only may it be eliminated completely but also may be of considerable length whereby the loops would be located on the sides of the ring.

While FIGS. 2 and 4 show a ring having heart shaped loops joined by the bridge 6, the ring may also be made with loops having other configurations. For example FIG. 1 shows a ring embodying the invention wherein the loops 16 are substantially figure eight in configuration joined directly to each other without a bridge. A faceted stone 18 is mounted in the setting 10. When this ring is expanded, the figure, eight loops will elongate with their narrower portions 20 coming substantially into engagement.

FIG. shows still another embodiment of the invention wherein the loops are in the form of circles 22. When this ring is expanded, the circles first become ovals and then ultimately obtain the shape shown at 22 in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that the circles may initially start as ovals which also result in an expanded ring similar in configuration to that shown in FIG. 3.

A single loop may be employed and located on either side of the setting area. This would produce a ring of unusual design and appearance.

As will be seen in all five of the figures, the loops are initially constructed completely curvilinear in configuration. Because they are completely curvilinear, all portions are formed with finite radii of curvature. Consequently, when the loops are expanded by internal pressure, as for example being forced on the mandrel 14, all of the radii change and the loops bend, the bending motion taking place in a manner distributed throughout the loops without concentrating stress at any given point or angle. This permits the loops to be bent many times without unduly fatiguing the metal and without causing rupture due to concentrated stress application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An expandable finger ring having a continuous uninterrupted finger encircling shank comprising a main shank portion and an expandable portion contiguous with the main portion and forming an integral part of the shank, said expandable portion comprising a pair of completely closed loops aligned circumferentially of said shank forming the most predominant configuration of the ring shank, means joining said loops to each other, said joining means being a substantially insignificant portion of the complete ring and having substantially less width than either loop, each said loop having end portions extending across the circumferential centerline of said shank and opposed side portions located laterally of said centerline and substantially equidistant from the ring 0136111 ing axis, said side portions of each loop being mutually symmetrical relative to the plane of said centerline all of said sides having substantially equal and uniform widths and substantially equal and uniform thicknesses throughout their lengths, all portions of said loops being initially curvilinear in addition to the normal curve of the ring shank and having finite radii of curvature, the sides of said loops being spread away from each other adistance wider than any other portion of the ring, all portions of the curvilinear sides of said loops being yieldable to an expansion force applied internally to the shank normal to. its perimeter which force is less than that required to stretch said main portion, whereby said radii of curvature change and said curvilinear sides bend along their entire lengths without concentrating stress at any particular point.

along said sides to elongate and lengthen the loops and thereby increase the over-all diameter of the shank without distorting said main portion while producing an elongated curvature in said loops having a similarity to= their original configuration.

2. An expandable finger ring according to claim 1 in which there is a setting located at the junction of the.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 184,320 Bellezza Nov. 14, 1876 1,548,645 Akeson Aug. 4, 1925 1,908,072 Spang May 9, 1933 1,950,526 Stetter Mar. 13, 1934 2,394,794 Manne Feb. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,845 Germany Aug. 4, 1923 941,972 France Sept. 6, 1948 

1. AN EXPANDABLE FINGER RING HAVING A CONTINUOUS UNINTERRUPTED FINGER ENCIRCLING SHANK COMPRISING A MAIN SHANK PORTION AND AN EXPANDABLE PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH THE MAIN PORTION AND FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SHANK, SAID EXPANDABLE PORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF COMPLETELY CLOSED LOOPS ALIGNED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID SHANK FORMING THE MOST PREDOMINANT CONFIGURATION OF THE RING SHANK, MEANS JOINING SAID LOOPS TO EACH OTHER, SAID JOINING MEANS BEING A SUBSTANTIALLY INSIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE COMPLETE RING AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS WIDTH THAN EITHER LOOP, EACH SAID LOOP HAVING END PORTIONS EXTENDING ACROSS THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CENTERLINE OF SAID SHANK AND OPPOSED SIDE PORTIONS LOCATED LATERALLY OF SAID CENTERLINE AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANT FROM THE RING OPENING AXIS, SAID SIDE PORTIONS OF EACH LOOP BEING MUTUALLY SYMMETRICAL RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF SAID CENTERLINE ALL OF SAID SIDES HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AND UNIFORM WIDTHS AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AND UNIFORM THICKNESSES THROUGHOUT THEIR LENGTHS, ALL PORTIONS OF SAID LOOPS BEING INITIALLY CURVILINEAR IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL CURVE OF THE RING SHANK AND HAVING FINITE RADII OF CURVATURE, THE SIDES OF SAID LOOPS BEING SPREAD AWAY FROM EACH OTHER A DISTANCE WIDER THAN ANY OTHER PORTION OF THE RING, ALL PORTIONS OF THE CURVILINEAR SIDES OF SAID LOOPS BEING YIELDABLE TO AN EXPANSION FORCE APPLIED INTERNALLY TO THE SHANK NORMAL TO ITS PERIMETER WHICH FORCE IS LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED TO STRETCH SAID MAIN PORTION, WHEREBY SAID RADII OF CURVATURE CHANGE AND SAID CURVILINEAR SIDES BEND ALONG THEIR ENTIRE LENGTHS WITHOUT CONCENTRATING STRESS AT ANY PARTICULAR POINT ALONG SAID SIDES TO ELONGATE AND LENGTHEN THE LOOPS AND THEREBY INCREASE THE OVER-ALL DIAMETER OF THE SHANK WITHOUT DISTORTING SAID MAIN PORTION WHILE PRODUCING AN ELONGATED CURVATURE IN SAID LOOPS HAVING A SIMILARITY TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION. 